Fluid pressure responsive equipment



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Jan. 5, 1954 Filed Jan. l0, 1948 ggf- FLUID B. JONES PRESSURE RESPONSIVE EQUlPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet l e Herron M151? INVENTO .BVM @ai Jan. 5, 1954 Filed Jan. lO, 1948 B. JONES FLUID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bvprou @Az-s INVENTOR.

Y rmfr Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE EQUIPMENT Barton Jones, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 10, 1948, Serial No. 1,597

(Cl. Z3-407) 4 Claims.

This invention has to do with improvements in iiuid pressure responsive apparatus of the type disclosed in Patent No. 2,400,048, issued May 7, 1946, to me on Diiierential Pressure Responsive Device, and my copending application Serial No. 528,409, filed March 28, 1944, now Patent No. 2,590,324, on Temperature Compensating Means for Measuring Differential Pressures.

Apparatus of the present type may be characterized as comprising a housing containing a pair of interconnected pressure responsive elements, subjected to dilerential pressures communicated to separate spaces in the housing and connected to or so associated with an appropriate pick-up device that energy or movement in accordance with the displacements of the pressure responsive elements is transmitted to the outside of the housing for any of such various purposes as elicoting movements, indications or controls in accord- Lnce with variations in the said diiierential pressures. More specically, the invention relates to improvements in that type of structure employing pressure responsive elements which, generally considered, have diaphragm characteristics, though preferably are in the form of cup-shaped bellows having their closed ends associated for simultaneous movement by an interconnection extended within a chamber between the bellows.

The invention has for its maior object to provide for a novel and highly practicable accommodation of the bellows movement pick-up device in a closed chamber between the bellows, and for transmission of movement or energy by means of such device to the exterior of the housing while maintaining the chamber in sealed condition.

Particularly contemplated is the maintenance of the pick-up device not only in sealed condition within the chamber, but also in contact with a liquid iilling the chamber and serving to protect the device against corrosion, wear or other adverse eiiect which might exist in the absence of the protective effect of the liquid or sealed condition of the chamber.

As will appear, the invention broadly contemplates the use of any suitable pick-up means located as indicated and capable of transmitting movement or energy in accordance with the bellows displacement. Preferably, depending upon particular purposes and installations, I employ one of two general types: (l) A mechanical device, desirably employing a torsion element or tube, for transmitting bellows-created movement to the outside of the housing, or (2) an appropriate electrical device capable of transmitting or modulating electrical energy in accordance with the bellows movement.

In its practical adaptation the invention embodies various additional features such as preferred structures and arrangements for accomplishing the above-mentioned functions, and provision for replacing from the outside of the housing the inter-bellows chamber air with liquid illing the chamber as well as the bellows themselves. All objects and details of certain illustrative embodiments of the invention will be understood to better advantage from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing one form of the invention in axial section;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a modified form of bellows actuated taire-ofi; and

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing a variational form of the invention.

The assembly illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises preferably a `unit housing l0 containing a pair of end chambers or spaces ll and i2 closed at the outside by internally ribbed heads i 3 and le threaded into the housing and carrying O-rings I5 which seal against :duid escape through the thread connections. Chambers Il and l2 are subjected to differential uid pressures as by diametrically aligned low pressure line connections l6 with chamber Il, and high pressure line connections l1 with chamber i2. The housing contains a pair of spaced transverse walls or partitions I8 defining an intermediate chamber {i} communicable through the partitions by way o openings 20 in axially aligned bushings 2| threaded into the partitions, the bushing flanges 22 carrying O-rings 23 in sealing engagement with the adjacent partition surfaces.

Chamber I 2 contains a pressure responsive element generally indicated at 24, which as previously indicated has by reason of its flexibility and responsiveness, diaphragm characteristics, but which preferably comprises a circular corrugated bellows 25, the interior end of which is attached, and sealed to the extremity of the bushing flange as at 26. The outer portion of the bellows has a pair of heads 2l and 28, the latter being closed to hermetically seal the interior of the bellows assembly while the head 2l being attached at 28| to a corrugation adjacent the end corrugation to which the end 28 is attached, has openings 29 permitting iluid communication between the interior 30 of the bellows and space 3l between the heads. The purposes of the described dual bellows head arrangement, being among other things to compensate for Xpansion and contraction of the bellows-filling liquid due to temperature fluctuations are more particularly developed in my copending application Serial No. 528,409.

Chamber Il similarly contains a bellows type diaphragm 32 `carrying a closed head 33 so that the interior of the bellows, as in the case of bellows 25, is hermetically sealed against communication with the line fluid. Heads 21 and 33 of the bellows are rigidly interconnected by an attachment t@ comprising a section 35 carried by head Y2l, a tubular section 3S carried by head 33, the two sections being interconnected by screw 3l, the head of which carries the seal ring 38 to prevent fluid |leakage through any clearances in the threaded connection. Simultaneous displacement of the interconnected bellows in response to increasing pressures in chamber I2, is resisted by a coil spring iii confined between washer il and a nut washer t2 on the threaded extent of pin dit. Washer e2 is adjustable along the pin to vary the spring tension, and is held in adjusted position by the threaded locking nut or sleeve fifi. Pin it is carried by supporting bushing 5 retained within opening it in the head I3 by a lock ring di, iiuid leakage around the bushing being prevented by O-ring @-3.

Chamber it as well as the bellows 25 and 32 and inter-communicating passages, are completely filled with a liquid, typically a light hydrocarbon or other non-aqueous liquid which may be selected for such properties as resistance to freezing, corrosion protection and lubricating qualities.V To assure complete liquid filling or the bellows and intermediate chamber, these rst may be exhausted of all air, as through an ap'- propriate connection or scalable iitting conventionally indicated at QS, following which liquid is admitted through the iitting. As will be apparent, the liquid permitted to completely iill the bellows, as well as the chamber, by reason of their communication through. openings Zt about the bellows inter-connection Sii. For reasons more fully discussed in vmy Patent No. 2,409,408, provision is made for positively arresting movements or the connection 35i in response to reciprocal displacements of the bellows, and for positively sealing the bellows interiors against liquid escape, as such pre-determined limits oi the bellows displacement are reached. Thus section 35 is shown to carry a seal ring 5@ serving as a valve which seats against the tapered bushing surface i, section similarly carrying a seal ring 52 which seats against the bushing surface i The invention is particularly concerned with provision ci means for transmitting motion or energy to an appropriate element or condition to be controlled exteriorally of the housing, in response to the bellows displacements and therefore in accordance with variations in the pressure diferentiais in lines id and Il. Figs. 1 and 2 show an illustrative take-cfr" mechanism, generally indicated at 55, or the torque tube type. Here the housing it is intersected by a sealed tubular case closed at one end by plug 57 and containing a relatively thick wall tube 58 which carries an arm 5e extending through the case opening di, the'tube being supported by and rotatable in the roller bearings 58 i. The inner end of the arm carries a yoke 5i, projections 52 on which are engaged against a ring 53 held in iixed position on the bellows connection 35i. The outer end of the tube 5B is rigidly connected by coupling ed with a torsionally exible tube S5 and also with a rod @t extending through and beyond the end of the torsion tube. The outer end of the latter is rigidly received within a sealed bushing 61 which may be retained in any rotationally set position by a clamp nut t8. Plug 5l is removable to permit application of a driver to the end 58a of the rod in making and tightening the threaded connection at 5cl between tube 58 and the arm 59.

The rod 66 may carry, actuate or control any type of element or condition to be governed in accordance with the pressure dierential. As illustrated, the rod is shown to carry an arm 59 which may serve as the pointer or market of a pressure indicating instrument, the casing of which is indicated at l. The torque tube assembly is capable of presetting as to bring the indicator 69 to a Zero or other reference position, in conformity with zero or predetermined pressure differential in the chambers Il and l2. For this purpose loclr nut 68 is released and a driver applied to the slotted head Bla of bushing @l to rotate and preset the torque tube 65. With the element t9 thus brought to its zero or proper reference position, the lock nut may be tightened to retain bushing @l and the tube in set position.

In lFig. 3 I show a variational form of mechanism for mechanically transmitting the bellows movement to the outside element lil. Here the latter is carried on a shaft li extending through its casing l2 into the housing it, fluid escape along the shaft being prevented by an appropriate stuing box indicated at "it, The inner end of the shaft carries a yoke arm 'le having the previously described association with ring 63 on the bellows connection 3e. As will be understood, reciprocal movements of such conne"- tion impart corresponding oscillations to shaft l l.

The general assembly illustrated in Fig. 4 is similar to the structures described with reference to Fig. l, except that here operation or the element or thing outside the housing intended to respond to the pressure differential changes, is controlled by the transmission of electrical energy. Accordingly, I may accommodate within the chamber i9 any suitable type of form oi electrical pick-up device, generally indicated at 15, which typically is shown to comprise a pair of stationary induction coils l@ between or within which is carried on the connection section Sii a core or armature l1, the effect of which is to vary the inductive characteristics of the coils 'ie in accordance with movements of the element relative thereto. As will be readily understood without necessity for specific illustration, the` coils 'it may be connected in an appropriate bridge-type electrical circuit or instrument which accompiishes or eiects the indication, measurement or control desired.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that in each instance the power or energy taire-ofi device is hermetically sealed within the chamber i9 and exposed to or completely immersed in a liquid which protects the parts against oxidation and extraneous gases or liquids.

I claim:

l. ln fluid pressure responsive apparatus of the type comprising a housing contat `ng a of diaphragme movable in correspond :ice one with the other and exposed at adjacent sides to a common sealed body of liquid and at outer to drierential pressures; the improvement com-- pricing a twistabie torque tube iixed at one end to the housing and extending within the housing with said liquid received thereabout, seal means preventing passage or said liquid from the outside of said tube into the interior thereof,'means in the housing contacted by said liquid and mounting 'the tube for said twisting movement, a connection in the housing in contact with said liquid for transmitting movement of the diaphragms to said torque tube and thereby effecting twisting movement of the torque tube in correspondence with the diaphragm movements, said connection being so constructed that the resistance to twisting of said torque tube is transmitted by the connection to the diaphragms to resist the diaphragm movements, and an elongated member attached to and extending axially within said torque tube and transmitting twisting movements thereof to the outside of the housing.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said means mounting the torque tube comprise bearing means extending circularly about said tube and contacted by said liquid.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which the diaphragms are movable along a rst axis, and the longitudinal axis of said torquetube extends transversely of said iirst axis, said connection including a rigid member extending between and movable with said diaphragms, and a swinging arm attached at one end to said torque tube and actuated at its second end by said rigid member.

4. A uid pressure responsive apparatus comprising a housing providing two chambers to which two uid pressures may be conducted respectively, bellows in said chambers, each bellows being anchored at one end and movable at the other, means connecting the movable ends of the bellows to cause them to move in unison.

means providing communication between the interiors of the bellows, valve means on the connecting means adapted to close oi communication between the bellows when the movable ends of the bellows have been moved excessively, means for transmitting movements of the connecting means to the exterior of the housing, a spring in one of the chambers elective on the movable end of the bellows therein to urge said movable end toward the anchored end of said bellows, and means accessible from the exterior of the housing for adjusting the effectiveness of the spring on said movable end of the bellows.

BARTON JONES.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 897,730 Fulton Sept. 1, 1908 1,459,218 Knaak June 19, 1923 1,877,810 Chamberlain Sept. 20, 1932 1,990,264 Benson Feb. 5, 1935 2,146,204 Dore Feb. 7, 1939 2,276,580 Hofer Mar. 17, 1942 2,365,573 McGay Dec. 19, 1944 2,381,429 Bell Aug. 7, 1945 2,400,048 Jones May 7, 1946 2,497,255 Brown Feb. 14, 1950 2,564,221 Hornfeck Aug. 14, 1951 2,627,750 Titus Feb. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 325,651 Great Britain 1930 829,790 France 1938 

